Snafu Season 2: Episode 2: Want to come to a party?
Summary
This episode of SNAFU details the 1971 burglary of the FBI’s Philadelphia office by the Citizens Commission to Investigate the FBI. Host Ed Helms recounts how activists Bill Davaudon, John Raines, and Bonnie Raines stole top-secret files to expose illegal surveillance of anti-war protesters. The story culminates in a dramatic 1989 dinner party where journalist Betty Medzger, who originally reported on the stolen documents, discovers her friends were the anonymous burglars.
Topics discussed
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Episode Intro: The FBI Burglary Reveal
Betty Metzger Returns to Philadelphia
Dinner with John and Bonnie Raines
The Invitation to a 'Party'
Assessing the Risk of Breaking into the FBI
How John and Bonnie Met: Freedom Rides
Activism in the 1960s: Civil Rights and Vietnam
The My Lai Massacre and Public Outrage
The 1970 Draft Lottery and National Anxiety
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Catholic Peace Movement and Draft Board Raids
Escalation: Weather Underground and Kent State
FBI Surveillance and Intimidation of Protesters
Bill Davadon's Call to Action
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Bill Davadon's Background and Motivation
The Plan to Steal FBI Files
The Decision to Proceed with the Burglary
Credits and Production Team
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Sponsor: Prime Video (Outro)
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